Gachak | Gud Chikki

05 Jan Gachak | Gud Chikki

Stepwise pictorial recipe of Gachak | Gud Chikki. Lohri is falling on 13 January and it is celebrated in Northern India will all zeal and fervor.The festival is mainly seen as an occasion marking the end of the winters and beginning of a new harvest season by Punjabi’s. Lohri involves a Puja Parikrama around the bonfire and distribution of Prasad. The Prasad comprises of six things: Til (Sesame), Gachak (Jaggery peanut brittle), Gur (jaggery), Moongphali (peanut), Phuliya and popcorn.

This year, we decided to make Gachak at home and it really came out very well. Made with just 2 basic ingredients – Jaggary (Gud) & Peanuts (Mungfali), it is not just cherished on the day of Lohri only, but being loved throughout the entire winter season.

INGREDIENTS

Jaggery (gud) – 1 cup

Peanuts (skin removed & broken into halves) – 1 cup

Oil for greasing

Water 1/4 cup + 2-3 tbsp in a separate bowl.

METHOD

1. Grease a steel plate with oil or ghee and keep aside.

2. Take 2-3 tbsp of water in a small bowl and keep aside.

3. Now take a pan and dry roast the peanuts in it at low flame for 2-3 minutes.

4. Remove the peanuts from the pan and keep aside.

5. Now again place the pan on gas stove at low flame. Add 1/4 cup of water and jaggery in it.

6. Keep stirring until jaggery melts completely.

7. Cook the jaggery for 10 to 12 minutes.

TEST : Take a small spoon of melted jaggery from the pan and drop it into the water kept in a bowl. If the drop of jaggery sinks to the bottom of bowl and turns hard, your jaggery is ready. Otherwise cook for some more time and again try water test.

8. The moment melted jaggery passes the water test, immediately transfer roasted peanuts and mix well for a minute only.

9. Immediately transfer the hot melted jaggery peanut mixture into the steel plate and flatten it with the help of a spatula.

10. Let it rest for half of a minute and while it is yet hot, cut into rectangular shape before it cools down.